Very low key, fidgety, clearing his throat constantly he is readying for the media barrage promoting his prize catch Fukrey. Pulkit Samrat the current flavour gets candid with TellyBuzz.

Several years ago Ronit Bose Roy had predicted that the new boy
in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was very promising. But then the
new boy had a fall-out with Ekta Kapoor and he was out. While he waited
for almost five years for good work to surface he did a musical Taj Express
with Vaibhavi Merchant, a music video with Venus Ek Ladki Shabnami Si;
dance shows. The music show and the film Bittoo Boss had a common casting
director Vicky. So he bagged the film.

You left the comfort of your
home in Delhi in search of roles and then took on Ekta Kapoor when the freshers were vying to be in the then famous K serials... you were the
first newcomer to have quit her show...

I didn't take-on anybody. It's a forgotten episode, I don't
even go back to it now. It wasn't a calculated move; it was a professional
decision where if I'm not convinced about something I cannot convince the
audience, some things didn't make sense to me, it would have spoilt the show
and my name.

I always thought of acting as a career option for me and
always wanted to be part of this industry. In college (Apeejay School of
Design) I used to do dramatics, and coming
to Mumbai was a natural progression. I got my first job when I was already in
Mumbai for a year when Kyunki... happened; I was lucky to be part of the
huge star cast and learnt a lot from them and the technical team; it gave me a
lot of confidence. It was hands on training for me.

In the ensuing court proceedings Justice Chandrachud
instructed Ekta that she could not arm twist an actor and stop him from working
elsewhere... is that true?

Ya, I was not in town when the verdict was announced. It was
mentioned clearly that the producers cannot bind an actor and their talent.. I
wouldn't like to take credit for anything, I did what I felt was right.

Are you like that in real life too?

Yes, if I don't like something I don't say yes to it... If
I'm not wrong I wouldn't accept a punishment even from a teacher. Once a
teacher told me to get out of the class because I was the only one who was
answering questions; annoyed, she told me that I was not letting anybody else
answer. The principal's room and parents coming to her was happening
constantly. As a student I was very notorious. I would not bunk a class because
I would love to trouble the teachers. I was suspended from the school once
during my X Standard for bursting crackers in the school with a bunch of
friends. Even though we were a gang I was singled out. In fact at that time I
got more time to study. I was a science student because that's the only thing I
could study, I couldn't study the Arts because I couldn't maro rattaas
(cram).

For a Punju you are very subdued...

It takes me time to open up with people, and once I've known
them I don't stay quiet... everyone including my teachers say that I have the
most deceiving looks. The first day in the class he is the quietest, the last
day he is loudest they would say.

How did you cope with rejections for all these years?

Everyone faces rejections... you have to wait for that one
thing that you feel right about. I do what I like, if I don't like something I
don't feel bad even if I'm rejected. I also know I have to move on for
something better.

It took a Farhan Akhtar to recognise your talent...

It's strange, I have never sat with him and asked him how
all this fell into place... I just got a call from Excel Entertainment. My
director Mrigdeep Singh Lamba, the casting director and some people from the Fukrey
team had already seen Bittoo Boss so they were unanimous in their
decision. A couple of screen tests later we were on.

What was your feeling?

Whenever I start something new I'm a little scared in the
beginning. Instead off being jubilant, my mind starts working on how we've to
work out the character; how it will be packaged, I'm always poker faced, it was
so even when I got my first film Bittoo Boss. Trust me it's very
difficult to choose. For any actor the next project has to be better than the
last one... The moment you read a script you instinctively know it's right, and
Fukrey is that one film.

What was your brief for Fukrey?

The screen play is the hero of the film. We started doing
workshops on the characters; my character is almost what my director is all
about, I just had to imitate his mannerisms and his way of talking, his sense
of humour. Mrig and I both are from Delhi so our sensibilities matched. Farhan
Akhtar sets a new benchmark with each film.

This is Farhan's 3rd film on male bonding, how
is this going to be different?

You take any film and
it's about relationships whether it's between a guy and a girl that becomes a
love story, or between two males or two females that becomes a friendship
story... the premise is not that chalo male-bonding pe ek aur film banate
hain. This is definitely about buddy bonding and the journey of each boy's
life.

Do you share that kind of bond with any one?

I don't have many friends, most of my chaddi-buddies are
either in Delhi or have settled abroad, I keep in touch with them on phone.

Are you a risk taker?

I'm a dream chaser, I don't know if that is being a risk
taker. If I like something I get into it and that could be a risk taking
action.

Do you love partying?

No, I prefer home parties with friends, or if I go to a club
sometime I'm the one standing in one corner looking at people going crazy,
that's more fun to watch. Also I need the time and the money to party in the
first place.

You met your fiancee Shweta Rohera when you were shooting for Kyunki...
you became friends and then she wrote a book on you...

That book was part of series which was being written on
young turks of India from different walks of life like sports, advertising,
television, films etc. I hadn't done so much work to deserve a book on me. But
only a dummy of that was printed.

But she became the special person in your life...

That she is..

After Bittoo Boss how has been your fan following?

The number is growing gradually, I care about the love and
the blessings that they shower on me. If I'm good at my work it will increase.
I do make it a point to reply to people on my Twitter Handle as much as I can.

Did you get offers for reality shows?

If I were to give an analogy of pizzas and sandwich I would
say I went for pizzas even if they took longer to prepare.

So have the pizzas arrived?

No, no. I'm
still making the dough and gathering the ingredients for it; it's going to be
fun.

Where did you meet your first set of fans?

In Mumbai. In Delhi's Defence Colony once a girl came up to
me, kissed me and ran away; if she had stayed we could have had some
conversation; that's something I'll always remember... I'd love to meet her
again! There was another girl who somehow managed to arrange a meeting with me;
she came with her father on my birthday and gifted me a pen with my initials on
it, her name is Prajakta, she still keeps in touch with me. Gujarat was very
interesting, there was a crowd of 20,000 people in an event, Canada, UK,
Germany also received us very well, I was shocked to receive fan mails from
Germany. If it's great to receive mails from them it's equally important to
reply to them. I hope I keep doing that.

Who are you a fan of?

Madhuri Dixit undoubtedly, and I think Madhubala is the most gorgeous woman on screen.

But we all know your FIRST fan...

She's my last fan... there's no more scope of fans after
that... (obviously referring to
Shweta)

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I must say, Pulkit made a great decision to leave Ekta's show. He definitely had guts and that too when he's a newcomer. Now he definitely can do experiments with his roles. Fukrey seems interesting to me. One of the few movies I'm looking forward to. Absolutely loved his expressions in that Ambarsariya song video. I think, he has potential. Haven't seen Bittoo Boss though.

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